Nightmare
by Krys33
Summary: “I thought I lost you.” [BB, angstish one shot]


**A/N:** I'm not quite sure where this came from, though I do know it's been in my mind for awhile. And I'm glad it's out. The writing style in this seems different from my norm, but I can't quite put my finger on why. I just know I sort of like how this one turned out.

With that said, enjoy!

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An annoyed Brennan, hair tousled from sleep, rolled ungracefully from the bed, the insistent knocking on her front door being too loud to sleep through. She shuffled down the hall and pulled the door open; fully ready to give an extremely rude greeting to her late-night visitor, but the words disappeared from her mind when a rain-soaked Booth came into her view.

Her quiet, "Booth?" was all the invitation he needed, and before she could comprehend what was happening, he had stepped in and gathered her in his tight embrace, the water from his now-transparent white shirt seeping through her clothes.

When he whispered into her ear, his voice was so soft she almost didn't catch his words. "I thought I lost you."

Realizing his obvious distress, she slid her arms beneath his and secured them behind his shoulders, hugging him back as she spoke in hushed tones. "I'm right here." She hoped she had spoken in a way that held more meaning past stating the obvious.

Booth was shaken back to reality when she began to shiver in his arms, the icy rainwater finally taking its toll on her body temperature. With an embarrassed sigh, he pulled away, averting his eyes.

An uncomfortable silence passed over the couple before Brennan cleared her throat and spoke. "I'll… get you a towel." And with that, she stole from the room, grateful to have a moment to herself to clear her head.

Once she was out of sight, he ran a hand through his sopping hair nervously. He thought about sitting down, but after looking over his wet clothes, decided against it.

Glancing over at the door, he knew that he could always leave now, but what would that get him? Momentary freedom from an awkward moment, only to have his partner freeze him out for the rest of the week? No, he'd gotten himself into the situation by coming over to her apartment in the first place.

Now he was going to have to explain himself.

--

Brennan took her time as she headed for the bathroom, even stopping to quickly change into some drier clothes. When she returned to her living room, Booth was exactly where she'd left him, a growing puddle of water beneath his feet. She handed over the towel, and he patted himself dry as well as he could.

By this time, the awkward silence had settled over them once more. "You want to…?" Brennan gestured towards the couch, and Booth shook his head.

"I'm still soaked."

"It's all right."

Despite her permission, he laid the towel over the cushions before sitting on the far end of the couch in a vain attempt to keep her furniture dry. She took a seat on the other end, pulling her bare feet from the floor and curling them beside her as she gave her partner an expectant, yet patient, look. He sighed, meeting her gaze for only a moment before averting his eyes, embarrassed.

"I had a…" After only three words, Booth's voice trailed off. _Dream? Nightmare? Horribly frightening vision? _He ran a hand down his face, frustrated by his inability to articulate what he meant. None of the words seemed to encompass how incredibly terrified he'd been. "I thought I lost you." Finally turning to face her, he found he couldn't quite read her reaction. "Do you understand?"

"You had a nightmare." Brennan stated simply. He nodded. "What… What happened?"

Booth turned away again, taking a deep breath. "No. No, I can't-" His words died on his lips as he felt the shocking presence of her hand on the side of his face, forcing him to look at her.

"Yes, Booth. You can. What happened?"

"It was the warehouse." She wasn't touching him any longer, but he could sense her tensing on the sofa beside him. "You were… And Kenton… Kenton…" His voice cracked as he moved his gaze to his lap, and her hand came to rest on his forearm. Booth let out a shaky breath and managed one more sentence. "I wasn't fast enough."

Her voice was low and soothing in a way he'd never heard his partner speak before. "But you were. You were fast enough." She drew out the next three words, enunciating. "You saved me." Beneath her fingers, she could feel him begin to relax. "Remember?" He nodded. "And I'm fine. I'm right here."

He covered her hand with his own, unable to voice his thanks.

And as he knew she would, Brennan understood exactly what he meant.

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**End**

I didn't really expect for it to end here, but when the opportunity for a perfect ending line comes along, I try not to let it pass me by. :)

Review, please!


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